25th May 2017

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj Vesak festivity in Sri Lanka acquired an international dimension this year with the Island nation hosting the United Nations International Vesak day. The icing on this Vesak event cake was the participation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as chief guest in the celebrations. Even though President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe basked in the glow of Narendra Modi’s brief trip described officially as a “religious visit”, the political highlight of the Indian premier’s stay in Sri Lanka was the nocturnal rendezvous with former Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa. The meeting between Modi and Rajapaksa was held late at night on Thursday May 11th 2017. The meeting came as a surprise to many because it was not part of the original itinerary […]

By Dayan Jayatilleka – Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka As confirmed by Dr. Jehan Perera’s latest column, the PM disclosed in Mannar that Indian Prime Minister Modi had urged him, President Sirisena and ex-Presidents Kumaratunga and Rajapaksa to solve the ethnic problem by bringing in a new Constitution without delay. The PM said that this will indeed be undertaken, and a draft document presented in a week or two, with a draft Constitution ready for adoption in two or three months. What the new Constitution really hopes to achieve are the political and economic aims of the PM and his allies and the economic and strategic aims of his foreign patrons. What is the underlying intent and core content of the new Constitution? What is its very […]

BY SHAAHIDAH RIZA If the law was implemented equally amongst all, the extremist elements will be contained and reconciliation can be achieved said United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene. In an interview with Ceylon Today he noted that foreign elements control the extremists who have been responsible for the hate motivated attacks in the recent past. Abeywardene added that these extremists were trained and funded by these foreign elements and were used to oust former President Mahinda Rajapaksa by causing discord amongst minorities, so that the latter would turn against the then President. Excerpts follow: ? What are your views on the Cabinet reshuffle? A: The UNP leadership has betrayed its party. This is the first step of a long journey […]